Clasp.



PATENTED JUNE 9, 1908.

L. H. ROSSUGK.

CLASP.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 16, 1907.

J x j low $065M v gy IUNIITED STATES PATENT OFFI OE.

LOUIS H. ROSSUOK, OF LINDENHURST, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO ROSSUCK MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF OI'IIOAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

CLASP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LOUIS H. RossUoK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lindenhurst, in the county of Suffolk and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Clasps, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates in general to clasps, and more particularly to fastening devices for detachably uniting parts of garments or separate garments.

The primary object of my invention is to provide a clasp which may be readily secured to a garment and which will be securely held in the desired position without injuring the garment to which it is attached.

A further object of my invention is to provide an improved clasp which will be simple in construction, inexpensive in manufacture and efficient in use.

The embodiment of my invention herein disclosed may be generally described as consisting of a clip comprising two substantially parallel portions united by an integral end portion, an U-shaped spring located within the clip and having a slot adjacent one end surrounding projections extending inwardly from one member of the clip, a lever pivotally mounted within an opening in the opposite member of the clip from that on which the projections are located, a tongue on the lever having a notch adapted to straddle a rib on the adjacent surface of the spring, a hook formed integrally with the clip and having an opening therethrough formed by the metal which is bent to form the outer member of the clip.

My invention will be more fully described hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawing in which the same is illustrated as embodied in a convenient and practical form, and in which Figure 1 is a perspective view; Fig. 2, a side elevational view; Fig. 3, a vertical central sectional view; Fig. 4, a perspective view of the spring and lever detached from the clip; and Fig. 5, a perspective view of the clip, the spring and lever having been disconnected therefrom.

The same reference characters are used to designate the same parts in the several fig ures of the drawing.

Reference characters A and A designate the side portions of a clip, while reference character A indicates an integral end por- Patented June 9, 1908.

downwardly bent portion 1). portion formed integrally with a hook B having a The outer side A and the end portion A of the clip are formed by cutting the metal of the hook B and bending the same downwardly, as

clearly shown in the figures of the drawing.

Located. within the clip is an inverted. U-

shaped spring comprising portions C adapted to engage the mner surfaces ortions A and A of the clip.

and C of the The portion O of the spring is provided with an elongated slot 0 adjacent the end thereof extending inwardly The outer surrounds projections a from the portion A of the clip. surface of the portion C of the spring vided with a rib c.

which is pro- D designates a lever having a tongue D extending within an opening a 1n the portion A of the clip. The lever is provide pintles (Z, d which engage within rec d with esses a formed in the inner surface of the portion A of the clip. a notch d the spring.

The tongue D is provided with adapted to straddle the rib c on The portion A of the clip is provided with a notch a located adjacent the fulcrum of the lever D and into which the lower edge of the rib c is adapted to be received when the lever is oscillated upwardly to the position shown in Fig. 1.

The opening a through the por tion A of the clip is notched transversely at its upper end to form a recess within the end of the lever the lever is moved inwardly to the p shown in Figs. 2 and 3, such transve which D is adapted to lie when osition rse enlargement of the opening a serving to per mit the end of the lever to be read gaged to oscillate the same outwardly.

ily en- The manner of using my improved clasp is as follows: The lever D is oscillate d outwardly to the position shown in Fig. 1, which permits the spring to expand so that the portions thereof will lie in close contact with the inner surfaces of the adjacent portions of the clip. The clip may then be readily passed around the portion of a garment, or the material, which is to be grasped, after wh ich the lever is oscillated from the position shown in Fig. 1 to that shown in Figs. 2 and 3. This movement of the lever forces the portions C of the spring inwardly so that the projections c thereon will be moved into close pro Ximity to the projections a on the member A of the clip. The opposing projections c and a serve to tightly grasp the interposed material. The spring is held in such compressed position by the tongue D and is prevented from being disconnected from the clip by the groove d in the tongue straddling the rib c on the adjacent portion of the spring, and also by the elongated slot 0 in the other portion of the spring surrounding the projections a on the clip.

When it is desired to disengage the clasp from the garment, the lever D is swung outwardly by exerting pressure on the end of the lever, so that the tongue D is oscillated to a position within the opening a in the clip. This movement of the tongue permits the spring to expand and release the garment so that it may be removed from between the projections c on the spring and the projections 01, on the clip. When the spring is in its expanded condition it is retained within the clip not only by the projections a extending through the slot 0 but also by the lower end of the rib 0 being received within the notch a in the portion A of the clip When the clasp used is for the purpose of supporting underwear and is embodied in the form shown in the drawing, the hook B is engaged with the top of trousers after the clasp has been secured to the underwear.

While I have shown my improved clasp as adapted for use in supporting underwear, yet it will be readily understood that it is adapted for a variety of uses and may be provided with any suitable attaching device in lieu of the hook B, or, in fact, in some uses of the clasp no attaching device is necessary.

From the foregoing description it will be observed that I have invented an improved clasp for engaging garments, or other maclip and having a tongue adapted to engage and compress said spring, said tongue having a notch adapted to straddle said rib and thereby hold said spring within said clip when compressed, said clip having a notch in which said rib is received when the spring is expanded.

2. Ina clasp, the combination with a clip comprising two side portions united by an integral end portion, one of said side portions having an opening therethrough and the other of said side portions having inwardly projecting points, of a U-shaped spring located within said clip, an oscillating lever ex tending through an opening in said clip and having a tongue adapted to engage said spring and force the interposed material of a garment against said points, the outer end of said lever being curved to extend around and lie within an opening in the end portion of said clip when said lever is oscillated to grip the interposed material.

LOUIS H. ROSSUOK.

Witnesses:

GEoL. WiLxiNsoN, ANNIE O. COURTENAY. 

